‘Golic and Wingo’ introduces ‘Mike and Mike’ swear jar during ESPN show debut

Maybe when Mike Francesa's replacements hit the air in the coming weeks, they'll have a "swear jar," too.

Maybe when Mike Francesa's replacements hit the air in the coming weeks, they'll have a "swear jar," too.

The first show of the new "Golic and Wingo," the ESPN morning sports talk show that replaced the longtime "Mike and Mike," wasted no time Monday morning addressing what was top of mind for anyone tuning in. Hosts Mike Golic and Trey Wingo wasted no time bringing up the high-profile change and the rather large elephant in the room.

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Golic, who co-hosted "Mike and Mike" with Mike Greenberg for 18 years, also immediately addressed the obvious.

"I think this was put best to me in starting a new show after 18 years of an old show was, as my wife said, 'You have different classmates, you're just repeating a grade,'" Golic said.

Mike Golic and son Mike Golic Jr. (left, right) co-host ESPN's new radio show with Trey Wingo. (Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

Wingo, the longtime "NFL Live" host, also did his best to not beat around the bush.

"We want to be clear about something: This is a different thing, this is a new experience, and we get it," he said. "We understand there was a great show that went on for many, many years. … We get it, it's a little new, it's a little different, and we understand, we're sort of adjusting as well. We want you to know that we're with you, we're all on the same page here and we're going to try to do what you guys did for a lot of years."

One thing the new show will have that the old one didn't is a "Mike and Mike Swear Jar," the hosts said Monday. Every time someone mentions the old show, they must put money in a jar as penance.

'Mike and Mike' is no more, and its successor is trying to ensure that. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images/Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

The end of "Mike and Mike" was plagued by reports that the old hosts ended the show on bad terms and had stopped talking altogether, which they have denied. As Chris Carlin, Maggie Gray and Bart Scott will attempt to fill Francesa's big shoes on WFAN, Wingo and Golic are in a similar situation in that the new show will attempt to replace a legendary one.

On its first day, "Golic and Wingo" acknowledged the challenge of doing that. And promised to fork over some cash each time they mention it on the air.